Anyone have positive things to say about BigLaw? Forum

[Theopliske8711]

Man, big law is damn inefficient prestigious.

FTFY

I finally get your thread in the lounge.

[El Pollito]

CHURN THAT BILL biglaw brothers and sisters

[bropulous]

My only experience with biglaw is as a summer, so take this with a grain of salt, but one thing I really liked is that you have coworkers who are generally smart and capable. I worked in another field before law school, and I can't tell you how many times I sent emails that went ignored, projects ran way behind schedule, and people turned in very low quality work. Sure, some people are difficult to work with in biglaw, but at least they're mostly competent.

[rad lulz]

[quote="bropulous"]My only experience with biglaw is as a summer, so take this with a grain of salt, but one thing I really liked is that you have .

[El Pollito]

My only experience with biglaw is as a summer, so take this with a grain of salt, but one thing I really liked is that you have coworkers who are generally smart and capable. I worked in another field before law school, and I can't tell you how many times I sent emails that went ignored, projects ran way behind schedule, and people turned in very low quality work. Sure, some people are difficult to work with in biglaw, but at least they're mostly competent.

Yeah I guess I usually take for granted not working with stupid people. Good point.

[09042014]

My only experience with biglaw is as a summer, so take this with a grain of salt, but one thing I really liked is that you have coworkers who are generally smart and capable. I worked in another field before law school, and I can't tell you how many times I sent emails that went ignored, projects ran way behind schedule, and people turned in very low quality work. Sure, some people are difficult to work with in biglaw, but at least they're mostly competent.

Yeah I guess I usually take for granted not working with stupid people. Good point.

It's a good point, but I don't think it changes the balance.

[lecsa]

I billed 80 hours last week. Slept maybe a couple hours each night. Biglaw is fantastic if you're an insomniac.

Positive - you're so busy working all the time that time flies by and pretty soon you're a midlevel who can lateral out of biglaw.

[MarkRenton]

I am considering applying to law school this upcoming cycle, and as I've browsed this forum I have found a ton of negativity surrounding practice in BigLaw. This is surprising, because there seem to be clear benefits to practicing in a BigLaw environment -- you work with the biggest clients on relatively important matters, you deal with unique and complex cases, reasonable work/life balance (compared to i-bankers, hedge fund analysts, etc.) and you enjoy a fairly high salary, though this is by far the least compelling reason to go into practice.

Honestly, as a practicing attorney, I almost spit coffee through my nose while reading the bolded. That's literally the only part of my job that gives me any satisfaction.

[84651846190]

I am considering applying to law school this upcoming cycle, and as I've browsed this forum I have found a ton of negativity surrounding practice in BigLaw. This is surprising, because there seem to be clear benefits to practicing in a BigLaw environment -- you work with the biggest clients on relatively important matters, you deal with unique and complex cases, reasonable work/life balance (compared to i-bankers, hedge fund analysts, etc.) and you enjoy a fairly high salary, though this is by far the least compelling reason to go into practice.

Honestly, as a practicing attorney, I almost spit coffee through my nose while reading the bolded. That's literally the only part of my job that gives me any satisfaction.

TITCR

[Kafkaesquire]

I'm a 0L.

If someone could go to a T14 and graduate with so little debt (and such good grades) as to accept employment at any sized law firm, would it still be worth going into big law for a few years to stack up the money before transferring to a smaller law firm, or is it very difficult to transfer from big law to mid law? From what I understand, big law training would not necessarily help you get into mid law, and may even hurt you. True?

[09042014]

I'm a 0L.

If someone could go to a T14 and graduate with so little debt (and such good grades) as to accept employment at any sized law firm, would it still be worth going into big law for a few years to stack up the money before transferring to a smaller law firm, or is it very difficult to transfer from big law to mid law? From what I understand, big law training would not necessarily help you get into mid law, and may even hurt you. True?

If you can last three years, you are have exit options to smaller firms.

[DELG]

I'm a 0L.

If someone could go to a T14 and graduate with so little debt (and such good grades) as to accept employment at any sized law firm, would it still be worth going into big law for a few years to stack up the money before transferring to a smaller law firm, or is it very difficult to transfer from big law to mid law? From what I understand, big law training would not necessarily help you get into mid law, and may even hurt you. True?

If you can last three years, you are have exit options to smaller firms.

But, is it just the same hours for less money

[09042014]

I'm a 0L.

If someone could go to a T14 and graduate with so little debt (and such good grades) as to accept employment at any sized law firm, would it still be worth going into big law for a few years to stack up the money before transferring to a smaller law firm, or is it very difficult to transfer from big law to mid law? From what I understand, big law training would not necessarily help you get into mid law, and may even hurt you. True?

If you can last three years, you are have exit options to smaller firms.

But, is it just the same hours for less money

True. I think TCR is just coast in big law. Do your 1800 hours and no more.

[Kafkaesquire]

I'm a 0L.

If someone could go to a T14 and graduate with so little debt (and such good grades) as to accept employment at any sized law firm, would it still be worth going into big law for a few years to stack up the money before transferring to a smaller law firm, or is it very difficult to transfer from big law to mid law? From what I understand, big law training would not necessarily help you get into mid law, and may even hurt you. True?

If you can last three years, you have exit options to smaller firms.

But, is it just the same hours for less money

True. I think TCR is just coast in big law. Do your 1800 hours and no more.

Interesting. So do the bare minimum 'til you get booted out and are forced either to lateral or to transfer to a smaller firm?

It seems likely that one's legal career is merely hopping around as an associate. How do you ever settle down? Do you just hop around 'til retirement?

[HRomanus]

True. I think TCR is just coast in big law. Do your 1800 hours and no more.

Is this because the probability at making senior associate/partner is so low and independent of gunning? Do recommendations from BigLaw not have a large influence on post-BigLaw hiring?

[rayiner]

Interesting. So do the bare minimum 'til you get booted out and are forced either to lateral or to transfer to a smaller firm?

It seems likely that one's legal career is merely hopping around as an associate. How do you ever settle down? Do you just hop around 'til retirement?

No, nobody wants a 15th year associate. If you can't go in-house, to a non-profit, or into government, or get at least some small firm to make you partner or counsel, then you either hang a shingle or leave the profession. Happens to tons of litigators every year.

[MarkRenton]

Interesting. So do the bare minimum 'til you get booted out and are forced either to lateral or to transfer to a smaller firm?

It seems likely that one's legal career is merely hopping around as an associate. How do you ever settle down? Do you just hop around 'til retirement?

No, nobody wants a 15th year associate. If you can't go in-house, to a non-profit, or into government, or get at least some small firm to make you partner or counsel, then you either hang a shingle or leave the profession. Happens to tons of litigators every year.

This is a part of being a lawyer that particularly gives mid-levels anxiety. There's almost no position in big law that sustainable long term except partner. Mid-levels have to reexamine and reassess their position at the firm and what they can score elsewhere constantly.

[Holly Golightly]

I'm a 0L.

If someone could go to a T14 and graduate with so little debt (and such good grades) as to accept employment at any sized law firm, would it still be worth going into big law for a few years to stack up the money before transferring to a smaller law firm, or is it very difficult to transfer from big law to mid law? From what I understand, big law training would not necessarily help you get into mid law, and may even hurt you. True?

If you can last three years, you are have exit options to smaller firms.

But, is it just the same hours for less money

idk, I'm fairly certain the lawyers I worked with as a paralegal were pulling nowhere near biglaw hours.

[UnicornHunter]

Interesting. So do the bare minimum 'til you get booted out and are forced either to lateral or to transfer to a smaller firm?

It seems likely that one's legal career is merely hopping around as an associate. How do you ever settle down? Do you just hop around 'til retirement?

No, nobody wants a 15th year associate. If you can't go in-house, to a non-profit, or into government, or get at least some small firm to make you partner or counsel, then you either hang a shingle or leave the profession. Happens to tons of litigators every year.

This is a part of being a lawyer that particularly gives mid-levels anxiety. There's almost no position in big law that sustainable long term except partner. Mid-levels have to reexamine and reassess their position at the firm and what they can score elsewhere constantly.

I'm a 0L and I'll be going to a T6 with zero debt. This is the part of being a lawyer that gives me anxiety. I also think this is where the law school transparency movement fails. People treat fed clerkship/biglaw numbers as an end result, but even law schools with great placement only really give you a good shot at 3-8 years of career stability. I get that in the big world you have to either sink or swim, but the structure of law firms seems to guarantee a lot more sinkers than swimmers. I'll be in my mid-late thirties at this point in the game and I don't even want to contemplate how much scrambling for a job/taking a huge pay cut/changing careers/being unemployed would suck at that stage of life.

[09042014]

I'm a 0L.

If someone could go to a T14 and graduate with so little debt (and such good grades) as to accept employment at any sized law firm, would it still be worth going into big law for a few years to stack up the money before transferring to a smaller law firm, or is it very difficult to transfer from big law to mid law? From what I understand, big law training would not necessarily help you get into mid law, and may even hurt you. True?

If you can last three years, you are have exit options to smaller firms.

But, is it just the same hours for less money

idk, I'm fairly certain the lawyers I worked with as a paralegal were pulling nowhere near biglaw hours.

How many hours would you guess.

[Holly Golightly]

How many hours would you guess.

I'm trying to figure out a way to estimate. It's hard with lit, because when people's cases are slow they work 9-5, and when they have shit going on, they work a lot more. I don't know how many hours people were putting in at home, either. But I will say this: when I had to stay at the office until 7 or 8, I was almost always the only person there. And anyone being in the office over the weekend was a huge rarity.

[09042014]

How many hours would you guess.

I'm trying to figure out a way to estimate. It's hard with lit, because when people's cases are slow they work 9-5, and when they have shit going on, they work a lot more. I don't know how many hours people were putting in at home, either. But I will say this: when I had to stay at the office until 7 or 8, I was almost always the only person there. And anyone being in the office over the weekend was a huge rarity.

eh thats how my firm is too. It's hard to tell.

[Holly Golightly]

How many hours would you guess.

I'm trying to figure out a way to estimate. It's hard with lit, because when people's cases are slow they work 9-5, and when they have shit going on, they work a lot more. I don't know how many hours people were putting in at home, either. But I will say this: when I had to stay at the office until 7 or 8, I was almost always the only person there. And anyone being in the office over the weekend was a huge rarity.

eh thats how my firm is too. It's hard to tell.

*shrug* We also had former biglaw associates who said the difference was huge. But I don't have numbers for you.

[09042014]

How many hours would you guess.

I'm trying to figure out a way to estimate. It's hard with lit, because when people's cases are slow they work 9-5, and when they have shit going on, they work a lot more. I don't know how many hours people were putting in at home, either. But I will say this: when I had to stay at the office until 7 or 8, I was almost always the only person there. And anyone being in the office over the weekend was a huge rarity.

eh thats how my firm is too. It's hard to tell.

*shrug* We also had former biglaw associates who said the difference was huge.

I'd imagine it is. But it's just hard to tell from when people are at work.

[Holly Golightly]

Part of the difference may also be predictability rather than just straight hours. I was at a p firm that had very little client contact. Most things were predictable. Motion to dismiss will be filed June 7, so we should start doing research on potential weaknesses before that. Reply will be due June 21. It was a rare occasion that something unexpected came up that required working crazy hours. Crazy hours were def sometimes required, but in my experience, you could usually tell exactly when those times would be.